Leucocytes, particularly granulocytes, particularly after stimulation through non-physiological surfaces, by means of chemotaxins such as formylpeptides, complementary components, leucotrienes etc, secrete enzymes, particularly proteases, into their environment. These enzymes (collagenases and gelatinases), serve to enable passage of a cell through the tissue, the removal of destroyed tissue during wound healing, and the decomposition of penetrating foreign bodies. The proteolytic enzymes (collagenase, gelatinase, elastase, cathepsin G and B and others) are normally rapidly inhibited in their local effect by inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2, a-Proteinase inhibitor, .alpha..sub.1 -antichymotrypsin, cystatines, .alpha..sub.1 -macroglobulin and others) of the tissue, serum and blood plasma.
In the case of a massive leucocyte invasion as for example in reactions to inflammations, a condition may arise in which the local inhibitor potential insufficient and the excessive enzyme potential leads to considerable damage to the tissue naturally occurring in the body. Syndromes with such inflammatory derailments are for example emphysema of the lung, inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematodes among others. Also, however, haemodialysis in patients with chronic kidney insufficiency leads in the dialyser on the surface of the dialytic membrane to massive activation of the leucocytes with corresponding release of the named enzymes. The same occurs during extra-corporeal circulation in operations (e.g. on the open heart). The enzymes used then lead to considerable (up to 50%) proteolytic destruction of important blood plasma proteins (.sup..alpha..sub.1 -protease inhibitor, .sup..alpha..sub.1 -antichymotrypsin, C1-esterase inhibitor among others). Previous therapeutic action in the case of such inflammatory degenerative ailments, e.g. emphysema of the lungs, concentrated on reinstatement of the enzyme/inhibitor balance by therapeutic reinforcement of the inhibitor potential, e.g. infusion of corresponding enzyme inhibitors (Land, H. and Greiling, H. (Hrsg.) Pathobiochemie der Entzundung, Springer verlag, Berlin (1983)).